WB Games Montreal has released a new gameplay video for Gotham Knights, revealing more about the characters Nightwing and Red Hood. Gotham Knights is set to release on 25th October 2022.
In a big change of plans, Gotham Knights will not come to PS4 or Xbox One anymore –  it’s now for PS5, Xbox Series X|S & PC only.
Nightwing – AKA Dick Grayson, the original Robin – gets around the city using a rocket-powered glider and a flying trapeze. He dives into the fray using his acrobatic fighting style. He has an elemental shockwave ability that can interrupt enemy attacks and give status effects like Cryo to freeze them and take them out of the fight for a while.
By contrast, Red Hood has supernatural abilities after he was resurrected by an assassin cult. He uses Mystical Leap to use his own soul energy to bounce between rooftops – wild! He has a momentum bar that builds up over time, but fills more quickly by timing certain inputs. He also has guns, but they fire non-lethal rounds, so that’s cool. His guns are augmented by a Barrage ability which deals additional damage to enemies and the ability to attach a bomb to enemies (presumably non-lethal) that can be shot later.
All heroes can make use of the Bat Cycle to fight high-speed crime. Fans of the driving sections from Batman: Arkham Knight will be overjoyed. All two of them.
Outside of the characters, we got to see a bit more of the game’s world and gameplay. Each crime you take on in the game has optional rules and objectives to challenge advanced players. It can also be taken on in two player co-op – this video shows Nightwing and Red Hood while the original gameplay reveal featured Robin and Batgirl – and this can lead up to two-player finisher moves. Alas there was no mention of the rumoured four-player co-op in this stream.
Between missions you can retreat to the Belfry, accessing the Bat Computer to browse the city map, follow story missions and cases to take on. A workbench is there to upgrade equipment like a classic action RPG, finding blueprints and crafting materials from missions to customise your characters. Gear can come with mod slots to boost their properties.
You’ll need it when going up against the sinister Court of Owls and their genetically engineered and enhanced fighters, such as the Talon Gladiator.
Gotham Knights was revealed during August 2020’s DC FanDome event. It’s a new and original story set in the Batman universe after the death of everyone’s favourite billionaire that dresses up like a bat. His youthful protégés have to step up to fill the void, with players able to choose to play as Robin, Nightwing, Batgirl and Red Hood. They’ll be fighting all kinds of crimes, but the main thrust of the story follows the loss of Batman and unravelling the Court of Owls plot that killed him.
While originally planned for a 2021 release date, Warner Bros. decided that their team needed more time to fully realise their vision for Gotham Knights, pushing the release back to 2022. Gotham Knights will now be coming out for PlayStation 5, PlayStation 4, Xbox Series X, Xbox One and PC on 25th October 2022.
